http://www.nelligennet.com/anzroc/anzrocjan2017.pdf

Please click here to read the reformatted December2016 newsletter

Presidents Welcome address to Anzroc Christmas lunch Dec 8 2016

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our 2016 Christmas lunch. It is one month today since the election likely to change the world which co-incidentally was also the date of the Anzroc AGM when I was elected President without any of the fanfare on the other side of the world. I would like to thank Peter Pritchard for his leadership as President over the past 2 years and the great work that the Anzroc committee has done over the past year in moving the organisation forward. A special mention goes to John McPhee and Kevin Mitchell, both Ex Anzroc Presidents who have retired from the Committee after many years’ service. Kevin , who is moving to Tasmania, has kept us entertained for years with his politically incorrect stories and I am sure if you approach him on table 15 he will tell you a few more.

A special welcome today to Shayne and his ANZ Executive colleagues Graham, Michelle, Fred, Bob and Tom and many thanks for the excellent financial support provided by the Bank to Anzroc Victoria and the other States. We have seen a lot of changes at ANZ over the past year and look forward to hearing Shayne’s response to the toast to the Bank later on.

Welcome also to Don Mercer and Will Bailey ex-CEO’s of ANZ Bank.

It is pleasing to see that our Membership remains strong at around 950. It is encouraging that we have attracted 28 new members many of whom are here at the lunch for the first time. Also it is good to see the many members who have travelled long distances to get here today.

It has also been a year of some sadness with 18 members passing away. Yesterday we heard that our great friend and Life Member Brian Christensen passed away peacefully overnight. We have also lost another three former Anzroc Presidents, John Duke, Col Edwards and John Vanselow and our Honorary Auditor Allan Forrest who were all great supporters of our organisation.

I ask you to stand for a few moments to remember our departed colleagues.

We are trying to make sure we reach out beyond the CBD and this year held monthly meetings in Geelong, Greensborough and Mulgrave. Next year we plan to visit Woodend, Greensborough, Mulgrave ,Caulfield and Chelsea and also set up a network of Regional Liaison Officers who can organise lunches in a range of Country towns across Victoria. We will need some volunteers to make that happen but will give it a try.

We continued to support the Salvation Army in their annual appeal and raised over $3000 which was presented to them at our May lunch at their Bourke Street Headquarters’.

We have established a new Membership management System this year which gives us a much better picture of our Membership make-up and allows us to send targeted communications such as the recent message to our golfing members. We have had some difficulties in trying to put together a golf day this year and have requested feedback from our Members. You should have all received an invoice for your Membership fees last month apart from our Honorary and Life members and the optimistic amongst you who have paid in advance for the next few years.

We continue to send out monthly newsletters in a new colourful format and birthday cards to our Members to keep in touch with you all. Despite the vagaries of the Australian Postal system Kathy Trace still manages to get the majority of them to you on time. 

Our internet presence has continued to grow with over 135,000 hits to the Anzroc website since it was set up 6 years ago. We also have over 230 following our Facebook page which contains articles of interest about ANZ people and also selected articles from the ANZ Blue notes publications. A recent post showing the redevelopment of the old EDP centre at 227 Toorak Road South Yarra attracted over 400 hits in 24 hours. It is amazing to see how that building once described as the ugliest in Melbourne has been transformed.

Enjoy the lunch and we look forward to hearing later from Bob Lyon with his toast to the Bank and the response from ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott.

So can I ask you to raise your glass for the Loyal toast

The Queen

In the closing address a Life Membership Certificate was awarded to Neville Pearson for his long and distinguished service to Anzroc as President and latterly as part of the Welfare Committee.

I would like to thank the Arts Centre staff for making this occasion run so smoothly and also mention the good work Ken Crawford did behind the scenes to process all the acceptances , create the name-tags and put the tables together.

Our next meeting will be at 100 Queen Street on February 9 and hope to see many of you there.

Finally, On behalf of the Anzroc Committee I would like to wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas and hope to see you at some of our meetings in 2017.

http://www.anzroc.com.au/component/phocagallery/category/153-xmas161

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